“Grandma, it's me.
Please don't tell Mom.”

The red flags

The story changes from call to call. The pattern doesn't.

• Urgency: the money is needed today, before something terrible happens
• Secrecy: “don't tell Mom and Dad”, or a “gag order” from the court
• Odd payment: gift cards, a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or cash handed to a courier who comes to the door
• A middleman: a “lawyer” or “officer” who does most of the talking
• A muffled voice: “I hurt my nose”, “the line is bad”, “I'm crying”

Habits that stop it

None of these need any technology. Talk them through once, calmly, and they stick.

• Pick a family code word that a real grandchild would know and a stranger wouldn't
• Hang up and call the grandchild, or their parent, on the number you already have
• Treat “keep this a secret” as the alarm bell. Real family emergencies don't need secrecy.
• Never pay with gift cards, wires, crypto or a courier, whoever is asking
• Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov, even if no money was lost

Where Bruno fits in

Bruno doesn't block calls. Your parent's phone rings as it always has. When a call goes unanswered, it goes to Bruno instead of voicemail. He listens for exactly this script (urgency, secrecy and a request for money) and doesn't play along. You get an email with the summary and full transcript, so you'll know if someone tried. His scam recognition is best-effort: an extra set of ears, not a guarantee.